Christian Dior was so inspired by the Hôtel Plaza Athénée, he named some of his designs after elements of the hotel.
Christian Dior with a model wearing one of his own designs, a satin evening gown called Blenheim.In 1946, when Christian Dior was looking for a spot to open his house of Dior he knew it had to be at 30 Avenue Montaigne . “I was going to settle here and nowhere else,” said the designer of the understated and elegant building with a Haussmann-style facade.
One of Dior’s most beloved haunts on Avenue Montaigne was the Hôtel Plaza Athénée. WIth its iconic red awning and wrought iron balconies filled with red geraniums the Belle Epoque hotel had been embedded into the fabric of Paris since it opened in 1913. Dior was so smitten by the hotel he premiered his first collection at the Hôtel Plaza Athénée in 1947. He even named some of his looks, “Plaza” and “Athénée.
As François Delahaye, the hotel’s general manager explains, Dior’s connection to the Hôtel Plaza Athénée ran deep. And Dior could benefit from the well-heeled clientele. “Dior regularly sent his models wearing his new creations, notably to the Relais Plaza, our iconic Parisian brasserie.” says Delahaye. “He organized photo shoots in front of the facade.”continues today.
For over a century the Hôtel Plaza Athénée’s devoted staff and design details like mosaic floors and stained glass windows, chandeliers and elaborate staircases have attracted legions of celebrated souls including Rudolph Valentino, Josephine Baker, Greta Garbo, David Bowie, Celine Dion and the Rolling Stones.“The Hotel Plaza Athénée is a mythical place full of history and I find this heritage incredible,” says Delahaye.
My experience at the Plaza Athénée really taught me that, while guests are important, the hotel would be nothing without its employees. Everyone is so passionate and committed. We push them to reveal themselves every day and to be themselves, without playing roles or reacting like robots. That's really the hotel's strength, and guests come back because of it; because of the relationships they've built up with a concierge, a chambermaid, a maitre d'.
Hôtel Plaza Athénée Avenue Montaigne Paris
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